


When Paws Give Pause

by Raaj



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen, all the pt are gathered but Morgana and Futaba are most prominent, but it's playing with the 'S&M? Shirt sizes?' gag from canon, discussion of nsfw matter, there is nothing actually kinky here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:22:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25137631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raaj/pseuds/Raaj
Summary: “Why do humans love pictures of cat paws?” Morgana asked during a lull in a Phantom Thieves' meeting.  "They're just feet.  Would it be cute if people were posting pictures of human feet?"Futaba cackled at her laptop, and Ren finally looked up from his probation diary.  He didn’t need Third Eye to sense there was danger.
Relationships: Morgana & The Phantom Thieves of Hearts
Comments: 16
Kudos: 160





	When Paws Give Pause

**Author's Note:**

> [This post](https://auncyen.tumblr.com/post/622953430366994432/we-all-love-sharing-photos-of-little-cat-paws-but) is to blame for getting the idea stuck in my head. I've been very frustrated with writing for serious fic so apparently crackfic is my writing outlet today.

“Why do humans love pictures of cat paws?” Morgana asked Ann during a lull in a Phantom Thieves meeting, looking over her shoulder with a frown as she swiped through her social media feed on her phone.

Ann looked up from one of those very same pictures to the feline thief over her shoulder and laughed. “They’re just cute, Morgana! Hold up your paw,” she said, and when he obliged with his right forepaw, she poked one round little toe bean, netting an indignant look from him. “See?”

“No,” he said flatly. “This is just my foot! And _these_ certainly aren’t cute,” he said, pulling his paw away from Ann’s finger and flexing it slightly to unsheathe his claws. “ _These_ are dangerous weapons.”

Ryuji snorted from across the table, and bright blue eyes narrowed at him.

“I could demonstrate.”

“Nah, Mona, we believe you,” the dyed blond said glibly.

“Perhaps knowing the claws are there makes for part of the appeal when they are sheathed,” Yusuke mused idly, doodling as he often did during slow times. “There are many creatives who have expressed feeling blessed to have the companionship of a cat, as well as its approval.”

Morgana puffed up for a moment, then deflated, seeming to remember he was not supposed to be a real cat. “So, it’s cute because the cat _could_ scratch you, but it’s not going to? I don’t know if I believe that,” Ann said.

Haru moued. “Oh, really? I thought Yusuke-kun's logic made sense.”

“It’s kind of weird as a reason...”

“It’s weird no matter what the reason,” Morgana complained. “Seriously! They’re just feet! Would it be cute if people were posting pictures of human feet?!”

Ann and Ryuji pulled disgusted faces simultaneously. Haru wrinkled her nose. Yusuke rubbed his pencil’s eraser into his chin, looking thoughtful.

Futaba cackled at her laptop. “If people posted pictures of human feet? Guess what, Mona? They do.”

Ren finally looked up from his probation diary, the latest page of which he’d been using to try to figure out a schedule dilemma between a Palace, two Mementos targets, three upcoming tests, four confidants, and five part-time jobs. He didn’t need Third Eye to sense there was danger.

Morgana however, seemed oblivious as he bounded across the meeting table to the hacker and her laptop. “They _do_? I’ve never seen anything like that!”

“Uh, yeah, ‘cause that’s just weird,” Ryuji muttered.

“They do! There’s whole websites for it--wanna see?”

“What kind of website has--wait, Futaba, don’t show him stuff like that!” Ann protested; the wrong tack to take, as Morgana looked even more curious now.

It was too late anyway. A website had already loaded, thanks to Futaba’s lightning-fast typing and even faster laptop. There was a moment of silence as Morgana simply sat between Futaba’s hands as she clicked around, his head cocking in confusion as Futaba clicked around and scrolled. The others awaited his reaction. “...I don’t get it,” he said at length. “They’re just...feet. They get you from one place to another, so of course they’re important, but they’re not cute at all. What do people find appealing abou--whoa, hold on a second, what did that comment say?!” Futaba broke down into giggles as the cat whirled on her. “People think feet are sexy?!”

“Ah,” Yusuke said faintly.

Haru jumped to her feet, her eyes wide. “Futaba-chan, please don’t show Mona-chan questionable things like that!”

“Did you two just figure out she was showing him a foot fetish site?!” Ryuji said incredulously.

“You’re the only other person who can see the screen where you’re sitting, Ryuji!” Ann said.

“And you didn’t try to stop Futaba-chan!” Haru added.

“Why would I?”

“’Fetish’? What’s that mean?” Morgana asked amidst the clamor.

“I’m glad you asked, kitty--”

“No!” Haru whirled around the table in a flash, scooping Morgana up in her arms and carrying him away from the maniacally grinning hacker and the content displayed on her laptop. “Mona-chan is _innocent_ ,” she said. “Don’t corrupt him!”

Ryuji gave both her and the squirming cat a skeptical look. “’Innocent’ is a big stretch.”

“I’m not innocent at all!” Morgana yowled, writhing until he broke free and leaped back onto the table. “I’m plenty experienced! I’ve just...forgotten some things. Like ‘fetish’, I guess.”

“You don’t need to know that,” Ren murmured.

His constant companion pouted. “But what’s the harm in telling me? Seriously, is it that big a deal?”

“Yes,” Ann said firmly. “Morgana, if you want to know so bad, I’m sure Futaba will tell you. But if she tells you, you can’t call me ‘Lady Ann’ ever again.”

“What?!” Morgana spluttered, his blue eyes widening in alarm. “But why? That doesn’t make any sense!”

“Because you are the _only_ person who can call me that, and that’s _only_ because you managed to get stuck in Kamoshida’s disgusting brain and come out not knowing certain things. You are a little innocent. There’s nothing wrong with that. You don’t need to know what a fetish is, or anything like that.”

Morgana didn’t have an immediate response to that, instead staring up at Ann, his shoulders and tail drooping as he saw from her expression how serious she was. For a moment, it seemed like the matter might be dropped then and there.

Then Futaba folded her arms and leaned in by him. “But if you _want_ to know, a ‘fetish’ is--wah!”

Morgana leaped away from her so quickly and forcefully that the few papers on the table fluttered up and away to the floor. He crossed the floor, jumped to the bed where Yusuke sat, bounded to the windowsill, and was out the open window before anyone else could react. He was gone so suddenly that Ren wondered if Zorro’s wind magic had aided him somehow. Yusuke blinked in bemusement, looking out the window after Morgana, and then set to drawing, his pencil flying in newfound inspiration.

Ann nodded at Futaba who was still taken aback, readjusting the glasses she’d knocked askew herself when Morgana had startled her. “There. Seriously, Futaba, there are some things I’d just...prefer he doesn’t know until _after_ he gets over the puppy love crush.”

“It’s more kitty love,” Futaba said, relenting when she saw the looks both Haru and Ann were giving her. “Fine, fine. I’ll only teach Mona about the safe-for-work wonders of the internet--”

She quieted as the stairs to the attic creaked. All the Thieves looked as one to the staircase. If Sojiro had heard the conversation...or, well, the parts he could hear...this could get awkward. Luckily, the brown hair that appeared first made it clear it was only Makoto rejoining them. The student coucil president slowed as she caught all the looks directed at her and quickly scanned the scene. “...Where’s Morgana?” she asked cautiously.

“You missed some things,” Ren told her, and she winced, shutting her eyes.

“All I did was go to the bathroom. _Please_ don’t tell me he's left the team again in that little time.”

“Nah, that dork just got flustered. Futaba tried to teach him about fetishes,” Ryuji said. He was still smiling, but he did look somewhat nervous, bringing the topic up to Makoto.

Makoto frowned. “But Morgana already knows about fetishes. He does,” she insisted when the others looked confused. “They’re effective in the cognitive world, after all--because they’re believed to have supernatural powers, talismans could gain that power in--”

“Ummmmm. I think...you’re talking about a different definition of ‘fetish’, Makoto,” Ann said with a forced smile.

“...O-oh. I’m...glad I missed that, then. Wait, why were you talking about...?" Makoto trailed off as Futaba started to grin again, slowly turning her laptop around. "No, on second thought, I don't want to know. Futaba, I am fine not knowing--close the laptop! We're getting back on track now!"


End file.
